King of Devil’s Island (Kongen av Bastøy), 2010.
Directed by Marius Holst.
Starring Stellan Skarsgård, Benjamin Helstad, Kristoffer Joner and Trond Nilssen.
SYNOPSIS:
In 1915 a group of young offenders are pushed to the limits of human endurance on the Norwegian prison island of Bastøy.
Calling to mind ‘youth run amok’ dramas as varied as Lord of the Flies and Scum, Marius Holst’s powerful portrayal of early 20th century borstal life is an emotionally demanding voyage into the icy waters of despair, abuse and rebellion.
Casting a steely gaze at the real life events of 1915 on the island of Bastøy – a Norwegian Alcatraz for boys and young men – King of Devil’s Island follows the inmates growing resentment as they are routinely physically, mentally and sexually abused.
The arrival of tough, battle hardened teen Erling (Benjamin Helstad) gradually emboldens his fellow prisoners to action. It is his subtly captured friendship and mutual respect for six year veteran Olav (Trond Nilssen) that becomes the centrepiece for the entire, compelling drama.
As Erling and Olav – aka C-19 and C-1, their dorm and depersonalising ID numbers – grow in confidence they are fixed onto a direct missile course with the institute’s Governor Bestyreren (the reliably authoritative Stellan Skarsgård), a complex and deeply flawed individual blind to facts even as they explode around him.
Corruption and the all too adult evils of greed and selfishness loom large over the island and only through supreme courage can the boys hope to confront it.
King of Devil’s Island is gruelling to say the least. A very real sense of these luckless soul’s blighted lives is sharply communicated; one can almost feel the icy touch of the North Wind and smell the dreadful odours of haunted dormitory rooms. A tremendous feeling of involvement screams out from the screen as you cannot help but will the boys on in their rebellion in the igloo-like chambers of the cursed place.
By the time the bigger boys with bigger toys – the military that is – turn up, the viewer could well be exhausted. It is a long and painful journey, but one well worth making. Fine performances all round and glacially objective cinematography leaves one in no doubt of the unrelenting misery and deprivation of the place. King of Devil’s Island will test the viewer, but then, that’s what true film art does.
Read our interview with director Marius Holst here.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Robert W Monk is a freelance journalist and film writer.
Originally published October 29, 2012. Updated April 11, 2018.
